Name: Linda Fayers
Station: Headquarters
Age: 39
Height: 5ft 7’’
Weight: You are joking!
Year joined AF&RS: 1995
Previous
job: Worked in a video studio doing filming and
animation
Position
at AF&RS: Crew Manager, Community Safety
Hobbies: No time now I have a child!
Favourite
food: Anything cooked by someone
else.
Favourite drink:
Any free one.
Favourite
place: My bed.
Hero: Jimmy Saville – He really fixes things.
Claim to
fame: Jamie Oliver is not my cousin.
Why did
you want to become a firefighter? I needed a job after
redundancies, and knew I did not want to be office based.
Did you
have any fears about becoming a firefighter? Probably too
few!
Did you do
much physical training before joining AF&RS? I got a
job in a gym before starting training school to do as much training
as possible.
How hard
did you find training school? It was intense but
enjoyable. At that time there was a lot of studying and exams; it
may be different now.
How was
your first day on shift? I was a bag of nerves, jumping
every time the phone rang.
How do you
find working in a mainly male dominated workforce? It has
its highs and lows, the watch system makes the working environment
intense for everyone, and like any ‘family’ not everyone gets an
all the time, but I did laugh a lot on my last watch.
Is there
any support in place for female firefighters? It is hard
for any new firefighter to find their feet but help is there if you
ask.
What is
your most memorable moment at work? My first house
fire.
What has
been you most embarrassing moment at work? Getting wedged
trying to climb through a window.
If a female said to you they wanted to join AF&RS what
would your response be? Work hard at your
physical strength, particularly on your upper body. You need to be
yourself and be honest if you are struggling. It’s not all glamour
and action and at times everyone can find the watch environment a
challenge. However, the rewards of being a firefighter make it all
worthwhile, so go for it.